Creating a dental model from a mold of a person's teeth is a well-known practice. Dental models are used for dental work such as, for example, dental prosthesis (e.g., crowns and bridges), and orthodontics. A mold of a person's teeth is typically formed when a patient bites into a pliant casting material that cures to create a mold cavity defining a negative impression of the person's teeth and gums (i.e., a “dental mold” or “teeth impression”). The dental mold can represent all or any portion of the person's teeth and gum line. When forming a dental model, a castable or moldable material is poured into the negative impression of the dental mold and the cured castable material provides a stone replica or dental model of the patient's teeth and gums.
A dental model base may be concurrently connected to the dental model during formation of the dental model from the dental mold. The dental model base typically includes at least one removable pin that is associated with one of the teeth impressions in the dental mold. After formation of the dental model, individual teeth of the dental model (a “tooth model”) can be separated from each other by cutting. The removable pin provides a connection between the tooth model and the dental model base and provides structure for the technician to handle the tooth model.
Advances have been made in the area of impressionless tooth modeling. Impressionless tooth modeling includes creating digital images of a person's teeth using digital imaging technology. In one example, data representing the digital image is input electronically into a milling machine that uses lasers or other cutting technology to cut or mill a dental model from a blank of cured model material. The model material may be, for example, porcelain or hardened stone material. In another example, data representing the digital image is input electronically into a rapid prototyping type machine (e.g., a stereo-lithography machine) that deposits small amounts of model material in layers, which layers when accumulated result in the dental model.
Impressionless tooth modeling eliminates the need to create the dental mold (i.e., dental impression) discussed above. Further, the electronic format of the digital images of a person's teeth makes it possible to send the digital images electronically, such as over the Internet, to a dental lab where the dental model is created. Sending the digital images electronically can save cost and time over the processes required when using dental molds.
Improvements in impressionless tooth modeling systems and methods are available.